Although the product's description has it aimed at preschoolers and those in elementary school, it seems better designed for older children ( unless they're working as a team with younger siblings). When I tested it myself, I actually found this somewhat challenging until I discovered a system for separating the colors and putting them into place. Even then it took a sharp eye to ensure that each piece fell into the proper hole - or that the magnetic stick didn't slide two of the colored "dots" into a space meant for only 1 color.

To sum it up....there is a learning curve for using this magnetic board but the temporary challenges and frustrations help develop patience and perseverance...and it does take both to get each colored dot in the appropriate space.

A couple of the pieces didn't contain strong enough magnets for the magnetic stick to pick up. Even so, it is entertaining for those 10 and up and perhaps even skilled 8 year olds. But 4 year olds? Highly doubtful.

]]>http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B006BHA8U8&authorID=A1ER5AYS3FQ9O3&cdThread=TxMBMA03SFQ7R3&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R2AV7QJPZYACXJ&store=yourstore#wasThisHelpfulKcorn gave 5 stars to: By David L. Marcus What It Takes To Pull Me Through1437088089-A1ER5AYS3FQ9O3-B00SCV1EGI http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00SCV1EGI&authorID=A1ER5AYS3FQ9O3&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R3BW04GCKHH67B&store=yourstore Thu, 16 Jul 2015 23:08:09 GMTKcorn reviewed:By David L. Marcus What It Takes To Pull Me Through: Why Teenagers Get in Trouble and How Four of Them Got Out [Hardcover]

An insightful look at the unique challenges today's adolescents face and a program that helps them become grounded, July 16, 2015

After reading this book , I wasn't surprised to learn that David L. Marcus is a Pulitzer winning writer. While focusing on four teens who come from varied backgrounds, he also manages to offer insights which many parents should find helpful. When I finished the book,I definitely felt that I had a deeper understanding of the special pressures which adolescents battle in today's world, from Internet dangers to increased violence and bullying.

With teen suicide rates soaring and depression also on the rise, parents, teachers, and all those who care about future generations should consider putting this one at the top of their reading list.

While the directions were very clear, my spouse and I don't often assemble outdoor furniture and garden structures. This arbor took the better part of an afternoon to build.

We completed this with the help of one other person .At times we felt very frustrated.

But it was totally worth it. This is a very attractive arbor with a 20 year warranty. It is sturdy and fills an empty corner of our backyard. I've planted perennials around it as well as vines which should climb the arbor sides. We look forward to enjoying its beauty for many years to come.

After I fell - and fell hard - on our mildewed and very slippery wooden deck, I knew I needed to take quick action. By the next day, I had rented a power washer, grabbed a broom with a scrub brush and went to work. We had the kind of mildew which wasn't visible or slippery until it got wet. Last year it hadn't been a problem.

The bottom line? The Jomax was so effective that I'm not sure I actually needed the power washer. All I had to do was mix the cleaning concentrate with bleach per the manufacturer instructions, spread it on the deck, and wash it off. Even before I used the pressure washer the brush removed the mildew. .

If you're not a fan of bleach and have the time you might want to research alternatives. But I didn't want to risk another fall so I acted quickly. If anyone knows an effective and environmentally friendly deck cleaner which removes mildew, I hope you'll share that info in the comment section below this review.

This product definitely does the job in record time.. Now I can get back to gardening and potting my container plants.. I have limited time so I'm happy that this product worked so well.

I was lucky enough to get the last box at my local grocery store and was shocked to discover how great they tasted. In fact, these are so delicious that my kids would devour an entire box in no time - if I didn't hide them. They taste wonderful, with just the right touch of mint and sweetness. You do need to be a fan of mint as the flavoring isn't extremely subtke. But it balances the chocolate nicely. I tend to go through times where I crave mint and then it loses appeal for awhile. When that craving does hit, these are my "go to" snacks.

If fragrances can truly be classified as male or female, ( although I question such stereotypes) , this one defies those boundaries. It has appealed equally to my male and female friends. It isn't a floral scent nor is it a heavy one with overly strong tobacco notes.

Instead, it is just as one would expect, evoking images of a library full of vintage books, relaxing evenings in front of a cozy fire, or time spent chatting with friends over some drinks. While it certainly is an ideal fall or winter candle, it also works well year round.

I keep one in the guest bathroom, located near our front entry. As soon as anyone enters, they notice the welcoming aroma. If there are any lingering or unpleasant smells after cooking dinner, this candle will clear the air of them in short order.

True, it isn't inexpensive but it lasts a nice long while. I'll gladly avoid paying less for other candles and opt to pay a bit - okay, a lot - more for one which is so distinctive, easing my transition from work to leisure time.

This wonderful musical composition was created in conjunction with the documentary In Vogue: The Editor's Eye and contains the words of those talented individuals (each with a unique vision) who worked for the magazine. As soon as I finished watching the documentary and listened to The Butterfly ( it plays through the end credits) I knew I had to track it down and also discover more about Lucian Piane.

We love the way this looks in our eclectic family room. It has the look of a far more expensive piece yet was well within our budget (around $110 as of this review, shipping included). For that price, we got a sturdy and attractive piece of furniture. The fit and feel? That is not quite as satisfying...but it is adequate

Some more info about how this feels: while it is comfortable enough for me, it is not as comfy as the far less expensive outdoor rocking chair we own. We'd been dragging that one inside and using it during the winter but wanted something that could remain in our family room year round and look less "outdoorsy".

The seat has a sharp slant and is relatively deep. While that isn't an issue for me, one member of our family is short enough to need pillows behind his back in order to sit forward enough for his feet to reach the ground so that he can rock comfortably.

Assembling this was another challenge. We nearly gave up at several points along the way. During assembly, the padding inside the leather covering kept shifting. We had to work to keep it smooth and lump-free ( the padding doesn't shift once the chair is fully assembled )

Next, the directions - such as they are - consist only of illustrations, no words to help explain things. We've dealt with that before but this time around the pictures weren't very detailed. Still, we could follow them.

Once we'd conquered those hurdles we had to deal with lining up the seat frame so that 6 screws stayed in place. This was a 3 person job and even then it took well over an hour of frustrating maneuvers to get everything aligned and all the screws tightly in place.

If you're willing to deal with all that, you'll be rewarded with a solid and lovely chair.

If anyone else purchased this and found it easy to assemble ,please let me know, as we're considering getting another one so that we have a matched set. Perhaps our experience wasn't the norm? I certainly hope not.

I'm surprised by the lack of reviews here- and even more by the negative ones. Just to be clear, I have no ties to the filmmakers nor am I associated with the production in any way. Okay, got that out of the way, so on to the film - one which is suspenseful but also character driven. It isn't a blood fest and the action isn't non stop. Instead, it builds, layer by layer, towards the climax.

Actress Patricia Clarkson is in fine form as a widow struggling to form a new identity in the wake of her husband's death.The film begins languidly, taking time to contrast her current life with her memories of happier times with her husband. Viewers looking only for "straight from the start " suspense may grow impatient here. Those tense moments do arrive but this film may perhaps be best for those who like plots with intriguing characters - as much as those with suspenseful events.

But for those willing to stick with it, there is much to savor in this film: Clarkson's understated yet compelling performance, the interactions between her and 3 mysterious men, insights about grief and some hard realities concerning loss. It all adds up to a movie well worth viewing.

]]>http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00ST1H5F0&authorID=A1ER5AYS3FQ9O3&cdThread=Tx4QTJNFNKC9I0&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R7IF89LX2IKL0&store=yourstore#wasThisHelpfulKcorn gave 5 stars to: Guard Dogs - Random Barking and Growling Dog Sounds for Added Home Security When the House Is Empty1421245791-A1ER5AYS3FQ9O3-B0083GB0C0 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0083GB0C0&authorID=A1ER5AYS3FQ9O3&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R2H3WMN5QGMAIG&store=yourstore Wed, 14 Jan 2015 14:29:51 GMTKcorn reviewed:Guard Dogs - Random Barking and Growling Dog Sounds for Added Home Security When the House Is EmptySound Effects | Format: MP3 Music

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Have an Amazon Echo or other remote app to play this when away from home? You can tell it to start remotely., January 14, 2015

While there are many ways to play these "barking and growling dogs" without being at home, one of the newest ways (as of the date of today's review) is with Amazon's Echo. Features like this allow the device - one that is still evolving- to be even more useful. This recording is very believable, making it an option for enhancing home security, an extra layer worth adding to your alarm system. Or you can use it solo.

Crime specialists who spoke at our annual neighborhood crime watch meeting said that barking dogs strongly deter criminals for one simple reason- they don't want to risk a bite or even more serious attacks. While they might be willing to set off or disable an alarm, rush in and out of a home, and grab whatever they can, they are more likely to opt for homes without dogs. Alarms don't bite.

And if you've already got an alarm system -and even have a way to watch the interior of your home from a tablet or laptop - you may have had the unfortunate experience of watching someone break into your home and get out before the police arrive. This may not be common. But it is possible. An incident like this made our local news.

As of now, this is free on Prime music. That's a win/win if you're a Prime user and if not....it is still reasonably priced, especially when you consider the potential benefits.

I've been a fan of All Recipes for a long time and many of the recipes at the online site have become family staples. So I was thrilled to see that the Fire Stick included access to an All Recipes app. We don't have Fire TV...just the stick. Doesn't matter. The app is there, accessible through the Fire Stick.

The All Recipes App Includes a nice selection of popular and featured recipes as well as recipes for meats, vegetarian entrees, desserts, appetizers, and more- to browse as desired. While it doesn't have all the features of the online site, it has a nice selection of recipes in various categories - from vegetarian cooking to quick desserts. Many are easy. All have full video demonstrations of the recipes, complete with coaching by a chef and extra tips to help ensure a satisfying result.

Because we're currently heading into Christmas season, I decided to watch videos under the Holiday Cooking topic. It included Christmas cookies such as Eggnog Thumbprints, Candy Cane Cookies, and more. I then moved on to a vegetable recipe, Hasselbeck Potatoes, an easy but impressive way to bake potatoes.

What I love: the video demonstrations.. For the Hasselbeck Potatoes recipe, it was very helpful to see exactly how the potatoes should be sliced to get the desired "accordion" effect, how far apart to space those slices on the potatoes, and the potatoes' desired appearance when fully cooked.

If I'm watching a video while preparing the recipe, I can always freeze the video as needed. Seeing the the precise techniques used for cookies or other foods Is particularly helpful.

What is missing: unlike at the main Allrecipes full-featured site online, there aren't recipe ratings, modifications, and feedback from others. To see those, you need to slide over to the site on your computer or tablet. I also couldn't find a search function to find a list of recipes for chili or chicken. For instance, if I wanted to make chili, I had to scroll through the various categories and hope I found a chili recipe. No guarantees. If there IS a search function, I hope someone will leave a comment and enlighten me.

Bottom line: this is a very nice app for finding new recipes to try as well as learning how they're prepared from start to finish. A super source of inspiration for jazzing up tired menus. Many choices.

Plus It's fun to sit back and just watch the videos - even if you don't plan to do more than use a take-out menu that day. Others days you feel like cooking but have no idea what you'll make. This is an app I use frequently, both for fun and information.. Practical, useful, and very entertaining....and a great addition to the line-up of Fire stick apps.

Thomas and Friends is currently a very popular show and our grandson is crazy about him. We plan to use these when we give him birthday and holiday gifts. They'd also be a nice way for him to label a gift for another Thomas enthusiast. I just wish there were more of them per sheet but they are currently only $1.97. It is the shipping fee that makes me wince. But I can't find them anywhere in town.

I know how to make nice bows and I generally make my own. But these look just as nice and are reusable (more info about that below) This happens to be one of those years when I don't have a spare moment - and it won't get better during the holidays.. We have two family members facing immediate surgery (and then recuperation), gifts still to buy (and wrap), out of town guests arriving, meals to prepare, etc. And that's not counting the usual daily activities, from paying bills to holiday decorating to cleaning. We'll have some help but still...it's going to be a push.

So I've decided to bite the bullet and find some ways to save a few minutes here and there because those minutes add up. I am so happy with these red ribbon bows. They are large, 9 inches wide, so if you make any mistakes when you wrap presents or find a tear in your wrapping paper...these bows will cover any sign of damage. They're not run of the mill and they outshine most "pull bows" by a wide margin.

They're currently running about $1.83 apiece. But they are definitely reusable and they don't crush easily. All you have to do is make sure you tie a knot in the part of the bow where all the ribbons come together - just a simple knot. Then the bows will stay nice and full and you can reuse them, perhaps for many years, making that $1.83 very reasonable when spread out over the years. I store mine in a covered box with a bit of acid free tissue paper on top of the bows. Any basic plain paper will probably do fine.

First of all, this marmalade is superb. I bought some as gifts and every recipient was thrilled. It has an indescribable but perfectly balanced blend of apricot and orange and each complements the other perfectly. Perhaps that's why there are sometimes shortages?

Only a few weeks ago, the marmalade was priced at round $18 a jar and would have been even less if I'd found it locally but I could not. It was sold out. That's how popular it is. So I thought $18 was steep here on Amazon but now it looks like a bargain. A MAJOR bargain compared to $53 (plus shipping). But it's Christmas time so maybe that explains it.

So it might pay to comparison shop here. There are some (currently) less expensive options from the Sarabeth's line of jams and marmalades: Sarabeth's Kitchen Sampler Gift Box The sampler pack has small sampler containers but they offer the advantage of giving recipients a chance to find a favorite flavor from a nice selection of choices. When you factor in shipping, the price is still high but still less than the current price for ONE jar of the orange/apricot

Who knows where prices here will go from this point on? I'm assuming this type of shortage will occur annually.

Another bit of info: some of the jars are very hard to open. This is actually reassuring to me because they have a tight seal and I can hear the "pop" of the seal as it loosens. A tight seal means that the marmalade lid has stayed in place and not opened before shipment. I did have to put my jar under mildly hot water and then loosen it carefully with the assistance of a jar opener. Even then it took a bit of careful work to open.

The knit cover makes a huge difference when it comes to retaining heat while keeping the bottle from burning toes, hands or other body parts. I'm trying to keep the thermostat turned down this winter (last winter's heating bills, courtesy of the Polar Freeze, were alarming) and putting this under my blanket before I turn in for the night makes a huge difference. It keeps me toasty warm, almost like an electric blanket. Children won't get burned if they touch this water bottle when it is in its sweater.

But you should know that this isn't going to feel hot, just very warm ( at least, with the cover on it). Boiling water isn't recommended - only very hot tap water.

I use this hot water bottle when I'm in our family room, reading or watching tv, and want to stay warm under a comforter or throw. It works like a charm. I can turn down the heat without feeling like I'm freezing.

I usually find it less expensive to buy in quantity. So 4 packs would theoretically result in each roll of tape (contained in the 4 pack) costing less than if I'd bought the tape in an individual roll. But that was NOT the case when I did a comparison. At the time, the rolls were $4.77 each plus free shipping. The 2 packs were considerably more than $4.77 a roll!

So be sure to compare those costs if you want to save money. By the way, the tape is wonderful. No problems there.

I previously wrote a review but am updating it. When I first saw these grates and held them, they seemed light and possibly flimsy (if someone stepped on them). So I asked other owners about this (by using Amazon's "questions about the product" form). I received some speedy answers which addressed my concerns.

So now I'm reassured by the feedback. No one had issues and at least one person has a heavy object partly resting on the grate. As for me, I'm finding that they are holding up well so far - in spite of some heavy foot traffic where people forgot to step over the grates.

When it comes to looks, these are absolutely stunning. They go far beyond the typical plain grate. I don't believe they are actually metal because of their weight but I could be wrong about that. The inside vents are plastic, no question about that. I doubt that they will ever rust, especially if the exterior is plastic. They absolutely LOOK metal (do want to stress that). No one could tell they aren't - if indeed they aren't.

Here was my concern: would they handle the weight of anyone, even heavier people,who stepped on them? I never thought this would be a risk until we had guests break some wooden grates we had, all over a single weekend. In retrospect, perhaps we should have warned them but it had never been an issue - not once over several years.

If I'd had a chance to see these grates "in real life" I might not have purchased them and gone for something with a heavier metal. But then again...at this price, I'd probably have bought them. Again, I will update if anything happens.

I've given this a 5 star review based on how I used this. At the same time, I'm going to note features that might eliminate it from consideration by other potential customers - and explain why.

My desired use was: as a decorative touch in front of our door, mainly to accent the rest of my entryway decor. We wanted something to welcome Thanksgivimg guests. Also, our porch is covered. So this met our purposes very well and is very attractive, with nicely detailed images.if you gave similar requirements, this should do nicely.

But just in cases you're wondering about it, I don't think this mat is likely to work as a traditional heavy duty doormat, the type which spends months outside and absorbs lots of wet mud or similar messes. If it was exposed to the elements, I doubt it'd last more than a month (at most). It has a smooth surface. If you've got early snows ( even in Autumn) slushy or muddy weather this mat is probably going to be ruined in short order.

However, it looks even lovelier "in person" than in the image on this site. When used as a decorative accent, it makes a great impression and several of my guests commented on how much they liked the design (we hosted a houseful of people this year). It held up very well for the weeks before Thanksgiving and remains in nearly new condition, ready to be used again next year. I'll have to see how many years it lasts as a decorative accent and if it is still listed here I'll try to update my review.

I think it is crucial to note that Woodwick candles are noted for their crackling sounds so if you prefer a candle which is as silent as possible, giving off only a burning glow, this probably won't be the candle for you (although I'd encourage you to give it a try anyway). I thought I might find the sound intrusive but actually love it. It creates a very nice background accent to dinner conversations or restful moments.

And as far as the price goes, I haven't found another brand of candle with such an appealing aroma. It has been worth the expense compared to the disappointment of other candles (but I'm definitely interested in suggestions for candles which have similarly attractive fragrances and cost less). Most of my guests have loved these candles and at least two of them have become fans, buying some of their own.

Evening Bonfire doesn't have a light or floral scent but a deeper fragrance, not as heavy as incense but heading in that direction. I associate it with maroon reds and dark pine greens. It also speaks to me of time spent reading a good book or napping on a cozy couch. In other words, this isn't a lively or invigorating fragrance but one which promotes calm. Settling in and viewing leaves in autumn or watching snow falling - or perhaps only picturing those images if you happen to live in a sunny and warm climate.

The crackling sound of a fireplace seems particularly appropriate for a candle called Evening Bonfire. Although we happen to have a working fireplace, this is still nice to have on hand for those times when firewood is low or building a fire is inconvenient, perhaps after a chaotic day when a nap is calling. I also love to use it while soaking in the bathtub - makes me feel like I'm relaxing near a toasty fire.

I have a make ahead vegetarian gravy for Thanksgiving and this adds just the right seasoning to create the richness and depth to my gravy. Even the non-vegetarians love it. I also add just a bit of light soy sauce to the gravy but add only a touch and taste frequently. I used to buy the bulk yeast flakes but I prefer these. I do use it sparingly so it lasts. It is pricy but when used as primarily a seasoning and flavor enhancer it does last awhile.